Nightmarish
by Authenti
Summary: A well-travelled trainer meets a Pokemon she can't name. A vague sort of friendship is formed.
1. Super Potion

Amber had hit a wall. That is to say, there was nothing wrong with her – but she had quite simply run out of ideas. She knew something was following her. Or someone. But she had no idea who, and they were impossibly elusive.

"Still nothing, Stat?"

"Luuux. Luxray." The Pokémon shook its maned head slowly.

"Hmm. Come out, come out, wherever you are?" She was only faintly aware that she'd given up. Maybe she should just let it go. Stop wondering who it was and just try and carry on with her little escapade through the forest.

"Come out, please. I know you're here somewhere."

Who was she kidding? She was just far too curious.

"Luh… Luxray… Lux?" Stat was having no luck. The creature just didn't have a scent, whatever it was.

She'd tried psychic tracking as well, but even her loyal Kadabra couldn't find a trace. All logic pointed towards there being nothing following her, but somehow… she just _knew._

"I know you're out there. I just want to talk." The experienced trainer had wasted almost a whole day wandering through the forest even though she knew the pathways that led out. "Please?" She sat down with her back against a tree and rummaged through her bag, still half-heartedly talking to thin air. "I don't like people watching me. It gives me a bad feeling. Like I'm being followed by Giratina or something. Man, that thing gives me the creeps. Stat, return." She held out the Heal Ball and the Luxray vanished inside with a crackle of energy.

Amber pulled out a small box and opened the airtight lid, pulling out two biscuits and sealing it again, shoving the box back into her bag and casting it aside. She nibbled on one, and stood up just long enough to leave the second biscuit on a tree branch overhead. "Yours if you want it," she mumbled, through a mouthful of crumbs.

An hour later, and she had dozed off. The biscuit lay untouched, _much to her surprise _(ha, no), and the mysterious stalker still hadn't revealed itself. Night was about to set in, and she'd stayed up late last night trying to find a Duskull.

A Pokéball burst open in her bag and then shut itself quietly as a Kadabra materialised beside its trainer. He was the only Pokémon of hers that disobeyed orders, but he did so out of care. Kazza didn't like leaving a defenceless human alone in the woods, especially since she was such a klutz. He seated himself beside her and meditated in silence, guarding his trainer.

Amber, meanwhile, began to tremble slightly. In her mind, she found herself being chased by something vast and dark. Tendrils of blackness coiled around her left arm and held fast. She tripped, tumbled to the ground. A plant with teeth – Victreebel? – fired sharp leaves at her. The darkness had vanished along with the mystery; she was merely fighting a Victreebel. But other grass-type Pokémon began lunging out of the undergrowth. An Ivysaur eyed her coldly and ran in for a Take Down. Three Oddish fired Razor Leaf at her, and a Rattata tried to bite her free arm. She screamed in pain as something overtook her whole body, and sat bolt upright.

Kazza was staring at her in shock, and released his Psychic hold on her now that he was sure she was awake.

_You were screaming._

"I… every Pokémon in the forest was attacking me. In my nightmare, I mean. I'm sorry I startled you."

"Kadaa."

"Get back in your Pokéball, anyway! I don't remember sending you out." She smiled shakily and returned the Pokémon to its respective Ball.

But what on earth had that been about? She was glad Kazza had woken her, but at the same time… she couldn't help but wonder why she'd had the nightmare in the first place.

Unless, of course…

"It was you, wasn't it?" Amber said into the silence. The sky was just barely darkening; she hadn't slept long. "The nightmare was your doing, somehow."

Amber no longer had the distinct feeling of being watched. She realised she hadn't since she woke up. This was no relief. If anything, it made her feel even more uneasy.

"…That's it," she growled after five minutes of continued silence and stillness. "I'm out. I'll leave, move on, and forget all about this stupid little game you were playing with me." She finished muttering sourly to herself and stood up, her hands shaking. The trainer gathered her things and brushed her hair out of her eyes, then set off along the path.

It was another few minutes later that Amber stopped in her tracks, eyes wide. A dark shape was lying haphazardly on the ground, parts of it blurred and drifting like black fire, but otherwise unmoving.

"Hello?"

No answer. She walked slowly over to the figure and, after a moment's hesitation, knelt down beside it.

"Are you alright? Not that you look it, I'm not stupid." There was still no answer. "Look, I don't want to hurt you, but staying on the path could mean that someone else will find you. And some people would try to catch you. I won't, because that's called Taking Advantage and it's only fair if you worked for it." She continued muttering things to herself as she gently wedged her hands beneath its still form and lifted very carefully. "Wow, you're lighter than you look. Better than when I tried to lift my friend's Munchlax when it was trying to steal my food. The little thing's small, but damn is it heavy…"

The Pokémon (for she'd determined that was what it was) stirred a little as she shifted it away from the forest path. She set it down gently against a tree, and it lay there shaking visibly.

"Are you hurt?"

The Pokémon had strange red ridges around its shoulders, and it looked as if it were made from shadows. It opened one eye and stared up at her mistrustfully.

"There's no Pokémon I don't know the name of, and I'm sure I saw you in a book somewhere. It was a scary book, but I can't be scared because you need help, and I doubt you could hurt me if you wanted to right now."

It just kept watching her as she rummaged around in her bag, then flinched away as she drew out a stylised plastic bottle with a spray nozzle, eyes glowing fiercely.

"Hush, it's okay, it's a Super Potion. It'll make you feel better." She smiled reassuringly. It hesitated, then seemed to relax a little, and placed its right hand on its opposite arm. She delicately put her hand behind it, noting with a wince the nasty bruise there, and spritzed some of the potion. "Better, or worse?"

"Worse."

The voice came as a shock to her for a moment, but she hid this. Lots of Pokémon could talk now. She had even once encountered a Meowth that taught itself to do that. It wasn't rare, at least not any more.

"Sorry. It'll sting at first, but apparently it fades and takes the pain with it. I don't know how it works, but my other Pokémon don't seem to object. Where else does it hurt?"


	2. Woken By A Rival

"Can you move?"

Darkrai tested this for a moment, shakily rising into the air a short distance. The attempt failed, and the Pokémon fell back against the tree.

"Yeah, a Super Potion may be useful but it's not a miracle cure. Here, we need to get you to a Pokémon Centre." She crouched and guided the Pokémon's good arm over her shoulder, waiting until it was ready and then standing up. "Lean on me. It's not too far, but there are other people there. Are you okay around people? I know a lot of Pokémon who aren't."

"No." It seemed to hesitate and pull back slightly, and she stopped with it.

"It's okay. Floarama Town is beautiful, and the people there are kind and quiet most of the time. They'll probably ask questions later, but I'm not going to give them any answers if you don't want me to. Or if all else fails then I won't rest until I've managed to persuade Uxie to wipe their memories." She grinned and tapped her nose with her free hand. "I have friends in high places. Befriended a Zapdos once. Shocking first encounter though, excuse the pun."

Darkrai gazed at her for a few seconds, then seemed willing to continue. Trust was becoming more common nowadays, what with Team Galactic falling apart left right and centre.

"I usually get my Kadabra to teleport us to the last town we went to, but I walked all the way over here from Veilstone without stopping, and man is that place crowded. I have a feeling it'd do more harm than good." Amber kept rambling on until they reached the edge of the forest. Something was pushing the back of her knee, and she looked down in confusion to see an Ivysaur headbutting her with an angry look in its eye.

"Ivy! Saur!"

"Oh, so now you want me gone? It's not enough that I gave your cute little Bulbasaur a free poffin earlier? Ungrateful, that's what that is." She glared at the short Pokémon and it backed off, growling. "I'm going, I'm going. _Arceus,_ Pokémon have lost all manners lately."

"It was my fault."

Amber gave the dark-type Pokémon a puzzled look, and it avoided her eyes.

"Your nightmare, and theirs."

"Oh." She didn't fully understand what it meant, but she began working it out in her head. "Wait, though, does that mean…"

"You were seeing what happened to me, in your dream. I am sorry."

Amber frowned. "I hardly think you meant to do it. Besides, it was just a bad dream for me. If it actually _happened _to you, then… Come to think of it, is that why the forest Pokémon were chasing you?"

Darkrai didn't answer. She already understood. If she found out why her children were having nightmares, she'd want to chase away the cause as well. Still, they had been kind of cruel.

"Even if you don't like it, I think it's a cool power. Anyone you really can't stand? Pow. Give 'em nightmares for a month, see how they like it. Get away with it by telling the authorities it's a psychological experiment. _Yesss_." She chuckled. Darkrai gave her an odd look, and Amber grinned goofily.

---

Darkrai recovered over the next few days, winter setting in outside the small Pokémon Centre. Once or twice Amber left the room to go for food, and there would always be one or two people lingering around the doorway when she returned, muttering about the strange new Pokémon that seemed to have arrived at the same time as the nightmares everyone was having.

"Out," she'd snap at them sternly, and they'd traipse off back to their daily routines, wishing they had some kind of solid story to tell their friends.

"Darkrai, are you alright?" Amber asked on the fifth day, right after an old man had burst in preaching about the nightmares and trying to pile the blame on Darkrai.

The Pokémon looked troubled. "No. I must leave."

"You're not fully rested."

"I will cope." Darkrai heaved itself upright and drifted towards the window, phasing through it before Amber could say anything else about it. She scowled and fled the room, dashing down the corridor and out of the sliding doors just in time to see the Pokémon vanish into the mist. She cursed the weather and cast caution to the wind as she struck out running as fast as she could in the direction she'd seen Darkrai go.

She already knew none of her Pokémon could detect Darkrai as long as it didn't want them to, and she had to rely on herself for once. It wasn't a good feeling.

She almost called out, but remembered at the last second that if the inhabitants of Floarama heard her, they'd probably join in the search – and that was the last thing she wanted.

Instead, she quickened her pace even more and headed for the Valley Windworks. The windmills looked almost imposing in the stillness of the fog. They weren't moving – there was no wind to make them turn today. It was just cold and miserable and Amber felt like she was going to collapse from her previous more or less sleepless nights – for with Darkrai around, she got very little sleep and when she did it was plagued with nightmares. Most of them involved Giratina's face staring at her from inside a vortex, just like that awful night on Mount Coronet… and then a sudden lunge at her, and she always woke up.

Amber realised she'd slowed to a halt, and sighed hopelessly. In this mist, she wasn't going to find her own hands in front of her face, much less Darkrai. The trainer wandered slowly over to a windmill and slid down it, hugging her knees to her chest and resting her chin on them sleepily.

Amber remembered a tune she used to know from her childhood, and hummed it softly, knowing no one else was around to hear.

---

"Wake up."

The voice rang through her head like a siren, chasing away the jeering image of one of her playground tormentors. She opened her eyes and realised from the cool feeling on her cheek that she was lying in the grass, on her side. The trainer sat up stiffly and stretched. The mist was gone, along with her drowsiness. A hand stuck itself in front of her, and she took it, allowing the boy to pull her to her feet.

"You always did have the habit of falling asleep in really weird places, but I think this one takes the biscuit, huh?"

"Ah, whatever, Tommy. You're the one who makes it a personal rule to run headlong into someone at least once a day." She laughed brightly and he folded his arms.

"Whaaaatever. Anyway, you wanna battle?" He already pulled out a Pokéball and held it aloft with a grin.

"…Well… no. I'm sorry."

"Okay, I'll- wait, what!?"

Amber looked downcast and turned to walk away from the wind farm, sighing. "I have to find someone."

Tommy's look of shock quickly turned to a disdainful glare. "Oh. _Really._ Well I guess I'll be going, then. Have fun with your new friend, I'm sure he's a real blast."

Amber shook her head and caught Tommy's arm as the blonde boy attempted to jog past her. "You can help me find him, if you want. None of my Pokémon can track Darkrai, so it might be kind of hard to do alone."

"Wait, your friend's a Pokémon?"

Amber stifled a wild laugh and ruffled Tommy's hair. "I don't get on well with humans, Tammy."

"My name's not Tammy!"

"Tamantha, then. Tina? Tallula? Teresa? Trisha?"

Tommy launched himself at her with a roar and tackled her to the ground, and a short wrestling match ensued. Amber finally laughed in triumph and placed a foot on his back, keeping him on the floor as she struck a victorious pose.

Tommy spat bits of grass from his mouth and grumbled something under his breath. "Yeah, well. I can't come with you. I have to go visit my mom. She made me promise."

"That's fair enough. You only see her once a month, if that."

"It's okay for you! Your mom lives in Kanto!"

"Don't drag my mum into this. See you later, Thelma." She dropped a Pokéball to the ground and a Rapidash sprang out, hooves clattering to the path beside them. Amber leapt up and swung her leg over the Pokémon's back, already wishing she had a saddle. "To Jubilife City."


	3. New Moon Island

Amber hated watching television. The presenters were always so fake, and if they weren't, they were obnoxious and cocky. She wished they'd get an independent radio station or something.

Yet here she was, staring at the screen intently despite her growing tiredness. She wasn't going to give up the search for Darkrai that easily; she had a feeling that Pokémon was going to get itself into trouble, and she knew her only chance of finding Darkrai quickly would be to pay close attention to the news.

It had been two days. She began to think nothing would happen, but at dusk…

"…Reporters say that a young child has fallen into an 'endless nightmare'. Locals are blaming the anomalous tragedy on sightings of what appears to be a strange Pokémon. Our field reporter Nancy is on the scene with an inhabitant of Canalave City. Nancy?"

"Thanks, Elliot. Well, sir, what do you think of all the talk about this mystery Pokémon?"

A grey-haired old man stepped onto the scene, looking angry. "It's Darkrai, alright. Just like in the books. You go to that library, you'll find dozens. They all link nightmares with that thing, and I ain't taking no chances. I'm going out with ol' Floatzel today, see if we can catch the beast, drive it outta town or somethin'. Gotta stop it happening again, y'see."

Amber narrowed her eyes. The pretentious fool was going to try and attack Darkrai, was he? She sighed sharply and slipped off her chair in the Jubilife TV Station, striding purposefully towards the exit.

Once outside, she broke into a run. She could waste no more time. A short surf ride on her Feraligatr (and a fall into the water) and she was in Canalave, flopping down on a bench for a moment to catch her breath as she stared around at the docks. It was midday, and people were well into their daily business; she found it hard to see around a crowd of tourists taking pictures of someone else's ship, so she stood up and meandered over the bridge to take a better look around.

All at once, she caught sight of the old man and his Floatzel. Amber sprinted over to him. "Wait! Hey! You with the Floatzel!" She had to stop beside him, hands on knees as she panted heavily.

"Um. Afternoon, kid. What's eating ya?"

"Are you the one going after Darkrai?"

"Yeah, what's it to y-"

"Please don't."

There was a long silence as she caught her breath. The old man scratched his chin uncomfortably.

"Uh, I kinda have to, kiddo. The gym leader's away right now, and I'm the second strongest trainer in Canalave. If I don't get rid o' Darkrai, no one else will."

Amber shook her head. "I'll do it."

"Wha- _Whaaaat?_ Who d'you think you are, kid?"

Amber reached into her bag's side pocket and pulled out her trainer card holder, flipping it open and showing him the three pages of badges she'd acquired.

"What on earth's that thing? Are you makin' this up?" he growled, jabbing a gnarled finger at her Cascade badge.

"No, sir, these badges are from Kanto." She flipped over the other two pages. "Johto… Sinnoh."

"Ha! What happened to Hoenn? Mudkip scare yeh off?"

"No, I kind of like them. The starter Pokémon were fine. I just hated the geography. I like Sinnoh. Mount Coronet especially stands out." She shook her head and waved a hand at him. "Stop, stop. We're not going into that. My point is, I'm more than qualified to go in your place. Please just let me do this."

"Want all the fame and glory, eh? Look, I'll tell you what. First person to find Darkrai wins. If you win, do what you want and I won't stop you. If I win, I get to capture the brute and stick 'im in the back of my PC so he can never cause another nightmare."

_What an awful fate, _Amber thought, fidgeting with her hands. "…I… Er. Fine. Okay. Shake on it."

---

The trainer pushed her long hair back over her shoulder, staring at the books in dismay. There were so many… Where could she start? She sighed and clamped a hand over her eyes, her free hand hovering over the books on the table.

"I choose you, Pokéball, go… catch a Pidgey by the toe… If it Leers, let it go… that move's used by Spe-a-row." Childish, but it worked. She picked up the book her finger tapped last, examining the cover.

_Canalave Folk Tales. _Could be helpful, or could be bogus. She flipped through the pages until she came across a scrawled picture of what could have been Darkrai. Amber studied the page carefully. It mentioned how Darkrai was cursed to bring about nightmares. Some help that was. She read the next page a little less carefully, but suddenly perked up with interest as she saw something that could help.

Darkrai is said to avoid humans and Pokémon alike, preferring to live in solitude on one of a pair of twin islands. These are known as New Moon Island and Full Moon Island. It is noted in old texts that the ancestral people of Canalave would seek a Lunar Wing to relieve nightmare trauma.

Amber furrowed her brow. Where were these islands? The book said nothing. She checked others; no specific locations were ever given. But if they knew about the islands, they had to know where, right?

The feeling that she was fighting a losing battle began to set in. The old man (whose name, she had learned, was Kent) was going to find Darkrai before she did.

Because… he knew… where to look…

Amber leapt to her feet, shoved the books back onto their respective shelves, and in a flash she was down the stairs and out of the exit.

"Don't run in the li-" The librarian's voice was cut off as the door slammed behind her. She saw Kent embarking in a small speedboat, and launched herself at the ferry. "Do you have a smaller boat!?" she yelled to the man behind the wheel.

"Wh- yes, but-"

"Follow that guy! I'll pay you your entire daily earnings in one shot if you catch up and find out where he's going!"

The man blinked at her, then shook himself free of his daze as she opened her wallet and showed him the contents.

"A'right, love, hop on the Mary-Ann over there! Go on, pick up the pace, we'll lose him." He grinned and leapt down onto the smaller boat, Amber following as he fired up the engine and got up to speed with Kent.

---

"There it is, love. New Moon Island. I ain't goin' no closer. There's a law against goin' there without a special ticket, y'see. Ol' Kent has one – well, his wife does, but she don't go out no more."

"Is there a fine?"

"What?"

"I said, is there a fine?"

"Oh, right." The sailor thought for a brief moment. "Yeah, I think so. Pretty high, too."

She nodded, handed him the money she'd promised, and sent out her Feraligatr.

"Oi! You'll upset the boat!"

Amber leapt onto Rexxie's back and the Big Jaw Pokémon kicked off the boat to dive headlong into the water, surfacing with its trainer about twenty metres away and making for the island.

"What're you doin'!?" the sailor roared after her. "You crazy or somethin'!?"

"I can pay the fine, so I'm going! It's an emergency! It's okay, I can Fly back!"

The sailor managed to balance the precariously rocking boat with his weight, and put a hand to his head. "Crazy lass," he muttered, throwing down an anchor and lying down on the small deck calmly. He'd be damned if he was going to let this trip go to waste, and his wife nagged too much back at home.


	4. Lawbreaker

Kent patted his Floatzel's head fondly. This Pokémon had seen him through thick and thin, and he had faith that it'd fare just as well now.

"Find the one that's causing the nightmares, Floatzel. Find him fast, or that vim-and-vigour teenager'll take credit. I'll bet she followed us here."

"Floah! Zelzel!" It scampered ahead, dual tails in the air and nose to the ground.

But there was no scent to pick up. They wandered for almost a full hour across the island, and Darkrai was nowhere to be seen.

Meanwhile, Amber and Rexxie the Feraligatr were hot on the trail.

"See anything, Rexxie?"

"Feraaa." A shake of its heavy head confirmed her fears.

"What if Kent's already found Darkrai? Oh, Rexxie, I can't let him put that Pokémon in a Box forever."

The blue Pokémon offered her a toothy grin and stomped ahead to keep searching. Amber recognised this as encouragement. "You're right. We can't give up." Something caught her eye, and she whirled around to see what it was. It had gone. "Darkrai?"

There was no answer, but she had the same feeling she'd had in the forest.

"Ferali…?"

"Good work, Rexxie." Amber gave a quick smile and returned the Feraligatr to its Pokéball. "Darkrai, are you there? It's me. I just… There's someone after you, trying to catch you… Are you… are you there?"

She felt awkward talking to empty space, but the watched feeling was still there. Finally, a shadow materialised on the ground in front of her, and the familiar Pokémon swept up out of the floor, cyan eyes fixed on hers.

"Eheh… Hi."

"Why have you come here?"

Amber lowered her gaze. "Straight to the point, hmm? Well, basically… there's a man trying to catch you because he thinks it'll save Canalave. But you're not doing any harm." She blinked. "Er, well, there was one kid who's having nightmares. Anything we can do about that, or…?" She trailed off, fidgeting in place.

"Floatzel, go get 'im!" came a harsh cry from somewhere behind Amber. She felt water spatter her side as a powerful Hydro Pump surged past her and hit Darkrai, forcing the Pokémon backwards and into a boulder.

"Darkrai!" Amber whipped around to glare at Kent, who had a triumphant smirk on his face. "You get away from that Pokémon," she hissed, sidestepping so she was directly between Floatzel and Darkrai.

"Outta the way, missy. We don't have time for this."

"No. I found Darkrai first. Fair's fair. That means you have to back off."

"Oh, but who's around to judge what 'fair' is?" Kent grinned at her slyly, and she wanted to punch him square in the face. "Go on, Floatzel. Dodge the girl and finish the job." He dipped a hand into his pocket and pulled out an Ultra Ball, readying himself to throw it.

Amber had other plans. She reached for her own Pokéballs and dropped them all onto the floor one by one, catching them on the first bounce. The Rapidash, the Feraligatr, the Pidgeot and the Luxray all appeared, followed by a Raichu and a Raticate.

"Defend Darkrai!" she commanded, her normally submissive personality seeming to undergo a complete change now that she was battling. Her Pokémon immediately formed a perfect V-shape in front of Darkrai, who was picking himself up stiffly. Only her Raticate remained with her, sharpened teeth bared at their opponent.

"Hey! That's not fair, kid! Six against one!"

"You said it yourself. Who's around to judge?"

"Ratiii!" Rue, the Raticate, took a step forwards, her front claws poised for a fight.

"Floatzel! You're stronger than them! Go on, get 'em!"

The Floatzel, cocky as its trainer, darted forwards and suddenly propelled itself with Aqua Jet. The Feraligatr stamped in front of the Raichu and braced itself. They collided, each party's arms shaking with the effort of pushing the opponent away, until Rexxie suddenly let out a roar and the water particles in the air joined the water that shot from its jaws to perform a huge Surf attack on Floatzel.

Surprisingly, the Pokémon remained standing, though it was pushed back. The Raichu knew what to do, and closed in for a Thunder attack. This was made more effective by the water it was covered in, and the match was over in seconds.

"Wh…" Kent was lost for words. His Floatzel was unbeatable! Only Byron had ever…

Come to think of it, hadn't this girl had the Mine Badge back when she showed him her trainer card?

Kent swore – loudly and repeatedly.

"Give it up."

"No! That Pokémon is mine!"

"Why do you want it so badly? Catching it isn't going to magically solve all your problems."

Kent scowled at her and pulled out another two Ultra Balls, throwing these into the air. A Jolteon and a Leafeon burst out. Another Ultra Ball, and an Espeon joined them. "Oh, I don't care about catching it any more. This is for Floatzel!" As if by a signal, the three evolved Pokémon darted forwards and began attacking in perfect sync. Amber let out a cry as one leapt at her, but the Raticate jumped in the way and blocked the Leafeon with an enraged hiss.

"Ratiii…Cate!" It clamped its jaws around the Leafeon's back, and the opposing Pokémon began leaping and bucking in pain, crashing into the Raichu.

All was complete chaos for a while, both trainers getting increasingly engaged in the fight until finally a voice raised itself above the fray.

"Stop!"

Amber and Kent stopped giving frantic orders and their heads snapped round to see Darkrai drifting towards the old man, a blank look in its eyes.

"I will go with you. I wish to cause as little trouble as I can."

Amber dodged in front of Darkrai and held up her arms to block the way. "Darkrai, no. Kent is going to put you in a Pokéball forever. It's not fair."

"I think I might just take that thing back to Canalave, to be honest. Maybe sell it to a collector."

Amber turned as Darkrai merely phased straight through her, giving her a freezing feeling. "You don't even care about the nightmares, do you? You just used that as a cover when you heard about a rare Pokémon."

Kent shrugged. "Oh, I don't know what you're talking about. Seeya, kid." He turned back to face the sea, and headed to where his boat was moored, Darkrai following like some kind of obedient Poochyena. Amber scowled and returned the rest of her Pokémon except for the Pidgeot, and together they took off to follow the old man on his speedboat on the long journey back to Canalave.

---

A few hours later, and a police officer was clipping handcuffs around the trainer's wrists.

"Pity, you know. You had such a clean record, even after your six years of adventuring." She sighed and led the girl away from the harbour. Amber could feel the stares she was getting, and it was a horrible feeling.

"I did it for a reason. I'll explain in court if it gets that far."

"If? _If _it gets that far? Miss, you violated a law on Pokémon conservation. New Moon Island is off-limits without a pass."

"But that's just it," Amber pleaded, seeing her chance. "Kent was trying to catch Darkrai! He was going to sell it to a collector!"

The officer gave her a stern look. "Kid, stop using Hyper Voice before you run out of PP. You can tell it to the judge."

Amber gave up. She didn't want to argue with the police.

"Hey!"

She recognised that voice immediately and turned around as far as she could without pulling on the handcuffs. "Tommy!"

The blond-haired lad raced over to her, skidding to a halt and falling to a seated position to avoid smacking into her or the police officer, who was giving him a wary look.

"What happened?"

"Darkrai went with Kent. He's going to get sold to a collector, but Darkrai is one of those types who shouldn't be caught. I told you before, remember? Like the Lake Trio, and Celebi."

The officer tugged on her handcuffs. "Move along. You have the right to remain silent."

Tommy looked upset, and walked alongside them as they headed for the police station. "But Amber's a good kid! She saved the world, I was there – you gotta believe me!" he tried frantically, but Jenny just gave him an unimpressed look.

"Tommy. Tommy! Calm down. Listen very carefully." Amber struggled to stay out of the door of the police station long enough to tell him her plan, and Officer Jenny called for backup. "Get to Full Moon Island. Find the Pokémon which links to the moon, and tell it what happened to Darkrai. The full story, all you know!" With that, she finally stepped inside and allowed herself to be taken to an overnight cell.

It was all up to him now.


	5. Baton Pass

Tommy stood for a good few minutes outside the police station, just staring blankly at the closed door as if he half-expected her to exit the place then and there.

His Munchlax stared up at him from where it had been sitting on the bench waiting. It looked at him inquisitively as he returned to collect it.

"Munchlaaax?"

"She… uh…" How was he meant to put this? "Uh, she gave me a mission, I think. Is that what I should call it?" He looked lost.

"Munch, munch. Munchlax."

"Let's go," he said suddenly, standing taller and looking determined. "I don't want to let her or Darkrai down, not that I even know what it looks like." He grinned encouragingly at Munchlax, who let out an emboldened cry, and they ran to the docks where a sailor was throwing a rope over a metal mooring post.

"Hey there, kid. Want a lift?" the man called, looking in a bright mood.

"I need to go to Full Moon Island."

The sailor stopped and thought about this for a moment, scratching his nose.

"How much y' payin'?"

---

"Thanks for the lift."

"Wait, you got a Feraligatr too, or what?" The sailor stared incredulously as the boy responded by leaping off the Mary-Ann and into the sea, grinning madly back up at him.

"Nope, but I can swim just fine!"

"Watch out for underwater currents, crazy lad!" The sailor thumbed through his now-bulging wallet, grinning dizzily to himself at how rich he had suddenly become.

Tommy, meanwhile, was doing an admirable doggy paddle to the shores of Full Moon Island, his brown eyes blinking against the saltwater until finally he slammed a hand down on one of the stone steps at the dock, scrambling for a hold and dragging himself out of the water. Once safely at the top of the steps, he tossed a Pokéball high into the air. Munchlax fell to the ground and did a casual spin in place, sticking out its tongue at him.

"Okay, Munchlax. We're looking for a Pokémon that links to the moon, or something. That's how Amber put it, anyway. Come on, buddy!" He high-fived the Munchlax and they set off running along what seemed to be a pathway along the coast that climbed higher as they went.

Finally, they stumbled through some trees and into a clearing.

"Munchlax!"

"Huh? Oh." He looked at the pool of water that Munchlax was pointing at, and nodded. "Looks like a hint if I ever saw one, huh buddy?"

"Munchlaaax."

There was a rising chorus of chimes. Something colourful materialised in the centre of the clearing, and a bright light enveloped them both.

"Creeeiiiisss…" Tommy shielded his eyes as the light intensified, then faded. "Cressiieeeh." He felt in awe, but his mind was fixed on his mission.

"Are you… Are you the moon Pokémon?"

"Cresselia," it said serenely, the crescent-shapes on its back glowing for a moment. Tommy ran forwards and stood to attention before the strange Pokémon, shuddering at the thought of what it might do to him. "Y-you… You have to help! Please… Darkrai! Darkrai, and Amber, and this old guy, and a collector and the police a-and… and…" Cresselia floated slightly closer and circled him once, giving him a quick look over. "What I mean to say is… Darkrai's in trouble. He gave some dumb kid nightmares and all of Canalave City freaked out, and this old guy attacked him and now he's going to get sold to a collector and I don't know what to do but Amber-"

"Cresselia." The Lunar Pokémon stared in the direction of Canalave, and then rose high into the air. A cooling wind whipped up, and it flew off over the sea towards the city. Tommy sent out Staraptor and leapt aboard, Munchlax on his shoulder, and sped through the trail of glittering dust the Pokémon had left in its wake.

---

"Alright, nightmare, let's see what you're made of." Darkrai ignored man and folded its arms.

"I will not fight."

"Why? Scared?" Kent sent out his Floatzel, which hopped on the spot, eager for a rematch with the Dark-type.

Darkrai merely lowered its gaze to the paved floor. "Do your worst." Kent raised a bushy grey eyebrow and then took on a battling stance.

"Floatzel! Go get 'im!"

"Float-flo!" the Water-type barked, summoning up a huge Hydro Pump that once more knocked Darkrai backwards – this time into the outer wall of the Pokémon Centre. Drenched, it pulled itself back upright and floated there silently as Kent ordered Floatzel to try Focus Punch.

Its only reaction was to flinch very slightly just before impact of the super-effective move, slamming sideways into the wall of someone's house and leaving a cracked dent in the brickwork. It struggled to rise again and somehow managed, but another Focus Punch stopped this once and for all, making a critical hit as Darkrai fell into the canal down the middle of the city.

"Kent? Are you sure that this is going to stop any more nightmares from happening? Because that kid down the road is in just as bad a state as ever." His wife stood in the doorway of their house nearby, giving him a dangerous look.

"Trust me, it's sure-fire. Floatzel, use Aqua Jet-"

"_Feraliii!_"

The Pokémon's roar rang out, ending abruptly as Rexxie bore her teeth down on the Floatzel's two tails. The water the weasel-like Pokémon had been gathering dropped to the floor and it couldn't complete its move, the heavy Big Jaw Pokémon on its tail acting like an anchor.

"What the-?" Kent stepped back as the Feraligatr stood up on its hind legs, lifting the now-panicking Floatzel by the tails and then suddenly swinging it and letting go so it hurtled at its trainer, knocking them both to the ground.

"Feraligaaatr!" Rexxie snarled, stomping down hard with one foot and then flipping over forwards and landing in the canal, showering the nearby ships (and the crowd that Kent had attracted) with water.

Amber soon followed, pursued by two officers and their twin Growlithe. She skittered to a halt – too late. The freezing feeling of being dropped into ice-cold water made her clench her teeth together and exhale sharply, bubbles escaping. She could never open her eyes underwater without it hurting, but she did so anyway, just in time to see Feraligatr struggling to free an unconscious Darkrai from some chains that had once moored ships.

Amber swam down to join them, despite knowing she was going to run out of air. Her hands scrabbled at the chains and her Feraligatr backed off to give her space. As soon as she was done, Rexxie plunged forwards.

On the surface, reinforcements had arrived. Kent was trying to climb out from underneath Floatzel, who had panicked itself into near-paralysis from its encounter with Rexxie; a loud war-cry from above, and Tommy's Staraptor dropped like a stone before levelling out at the last second and fluttering to a standstill on the pavement.

Cresselia followed immediately, the crescent over its back catching the light – and the attention of the crowd.

"Oh…"

"Is that…?"

"It's Cresselia!"

"It's the myth from the book!"

The commotion that followed was entirely chaotic. A couple of people knelt down, still remembering the tales their grandparents had told them about the tribes that used to worship Cresselia. Others reached for their Pokédexes, and still others either approached or backed off in confusion of what to do.

A loud splash from the canal indicated that the Feraligatr had resurfaced. Amber let go of Rexxie's tail and the Feraligatr reached down to pull her to the surface, the girl too busy holding onto Darkrai to do any swimming. She took a gasp of air and regarded Darkrai worriedly, then looked up to the two police officers and their Growlithe peering uncertainly over the edge of the canal wall.

"Help…?" the girl coughed, giving them an urgent look. They glanced at each other, and then one sent out a Bayleef. With the aid of a strategic Vine-Whip attack, it managed to lift Darkrai out of the water and laid it carefully on the ground before Amber returned Rexxie to her Pokéball and it helped her to reach their level as well.

"You're still on parole, kid. Don't run off like that again." Amber nodded apologetically to the officer who'd spoken, and turned to face Cresselia.

"Amber! I did it! I brought the moon Pokémon, like you said!" Tommy alit from his Staraptor, returned it to its Pokéball, and ran over.

"Thanks, Tommy. You did a good job." She smiled at him, and he grinned back.

Cresselia floated slowly over to Darkrai, who was lying motionless on the ground in a pool of water.

"Cressee?"

"Kent and his Floatzel attacked him, and we just got him out of the water," Amber explained. "I'm sorry. It's in no way my fault, but… I still feel sorry."

"Cresselia." The Pokémon faced her and bowed its head before turning back to the dark shape on the floor. Some people from the crowd had decided to come over to see what was going on, but Cresselia ignored them. "Creeiii." It lowered itself a little, moving its head down to lightly touch Darkrai's arm. It looked like it was concentrating, but… nothing happened.

"Cressi, Cressi!" it called, dismayed. "Cresselia…!" It craned its neck up, staring at the vivid blue sky for a moment, then looked back at Darkrai. "Cressi-Cressi-Cresselia…"

Tommy glanced at where it had been looking, then suddenly it clicked.

"It can't do anything to help because it's not night-time…"

"Oh, no… And it's a new moon, too. I'll bet that doesn't help either." Amber bit her thumb in horror. "Cresselia… it's okay, you go sort out the kid who's having nightmares. I'll… I'll do what I can here." The Lunar Pokémon hesitated and met her eyes, then nodded for a moment, and then its eyes widened as it felt something hit its side. It warped into red light and vanished into an Ultra Ball.

"Yesss! Ol' Kent does it again!"

"No!" Amber shrieked, lunging wildly for the Ultra Ball. Kent did the same, and they collided. Amber bit his hand out of desperation and he yelled out in pain, dropping the still-shaking Ball and letting it roll away. They made another mad dive-

_Crunch_. Tommy's shoe pounded the object into the ground, a small explosion of light setting itself off. Cresselia reappeared seconds later, looking enraged. Amber shoved Kent aside and went to stand behind Cresselia and Tommy, kneeling before Darkrai and slinging her bag to the floor – though not without an angry glance over her shoulder.

"Oh… darn…"

"_Cresseliaaa!_"


	6. Friendship

"I_… ink… be… kay…_"

"_Wha… mean, y… think?_" The voices swam into range of his hearing like trying to find silver in a muddy puddle.

"Amber, I'm not a doctor. I can't say."

"Sorry. I'm just…" A sigh. "I'm just worried. Darkrai could be a unique Pokémon, and… Well, I mean, even if it wasn't… Oh, I don't know. I just want him to pull through."

These voices… hadn't he heard one of them before? The lighter one. Yes. He remembered…

_Are you hurt?_

_There's no Pokémon I don't know the name of…_

_I'm sure I saw you in a book somewhere._

Darkrai managed to open its eyes a little. Everything was so blurry… the light hurt his eyes, and he let out a groan.

"Amber? I think he's waking up." Tommy prodded her shoulder, and she sat bolt upright, then stood up and hurried across the room.

"Darkrai?"

The barely-conscious Pokémon began to wake up a little more, but as he did so, the pain came at him full-force. He shut his eyes tightly and tried to sit up, but the pain intensified and he fell back with a strangled cry.

"Shhh. It's okay. Moving will hurt for a while, so stay where you are." Darkrai glanced around quickly. It was dusk, and there was a faint glow in the distance where Cresselia was hovering, probably dispelling the nightmares the child had been having.

"You took a pretty nasty beating back there. Kent got an earful from his wife afterwards, though. It was pretty funny to watch." Tommy got an elbow in the ribs for that comment, but he grinned nevertheless. "And then the police had a word with him, and then Amber here had a word with the inhabitants of Canalave. I don't think anyone will be prejudiced against you for a long time."

Darkrai's eyes opened again and he gazed in silence at Amber.

"I don't have any more potions with me. If I did-"

"Here. You can have my Full Restore." Tommy pulled the healing item out of his bag and offered it to Amber, flashing her an apologetic smile. "I should have done this sooner. Sorry."

"Yeah, you should have," she growled at him, snatching the Full Restore. "Darkrai, it'll sting for a bit, but… well, you know the drill."

Darkrai winced as she began applying the Full Restore, but willed himself to keep as still as he could. Amber was a good human. He didn't want to make the task any more complicated.

"I heard some people talking about you. They said you didn't fight – you just laid there and took it. Why'd you do that?" Tommy looked puzzled. Darkrai took a while to answer.

"…I… had… caused enough grief."

Amber shook her head and sighed. "Another guilt case. I've met a lot of Pokémon with the same state of mind." She sat back, the Full Restore container empty, and threw it leisurely at Tommy's head. It bounced off with a hollow 'thunk' noise, and he cuffed her around the ear before stooping to pick it up. "I met a Gastly that kept accidentally using Curse back in Kanto, and a Magnemite that had a problem with static electricity actually joined my team at Mount Coronet – don't ask what a Magnemite was doing up Mount Coronet, it's a long story. In fact, I think I remember one from Johto, too. An Umbreon – a Dark Type, just like you. Lots of people in a seaside town got ill, and when someone made the mistake of evolving their Eevee right beforehand, people thought it was her fault and made the trainer get rid of her. I talked the town into taking her back once they realised it didn't solve anything, though." She hesitated. "And, er, someone didn't believe me. So I… er… went after them with my Chikorita until they saw things my way. Ahaha. But that's a thing of the past."

Darkrai felt a lot better thanks to the Full Restore, and managed to get off the ground. "I cause nightmares wherever I go. It is no misunderstanding, nor is it a solvable problem."

"Yes, it is. Cresselia can stop the nightmares-"

"This is unnecessary hassle for Cresselia. I will return to New Moon Island, and… I will stay there." Darkrai dusted himself off.

Tommy frowned. "That's another thing I don't understand. Why'd you leave in the first place?" Amber elbowed him again and gave him a stern look.

Darkrai didn't answer, and phased downwards into a shadow on the floor. The shadow then darted away in the direction of the ocean, and Amber face-palmed and sent out her Pidgeot.

"Nice going, Tommy."

"What!? How was that my fault?"

"You couldn't just figure it out yourself?" Amber snapped at him. She clambered onto the Pidgeot, which cooed and fluttered its wings.

Tommy shook his head. "I don't get it!"

"Would you want to talk about being stuck on an island alone for Arceus knows how many years?" With that, she nudged Pidgeot with her heel and it beat its wings, soaring into the air. Tommy sighed and sent out Munchlax. He just didn't understand that girl.

"Munchlaaax!"

"Come on, buddy. We're going to find those berries we planted."

---

The Pidgeot touched down behind the Dark-Type, its final wingbeats disturbing the wisps on Darkrai's shoulders. Amber slid off the Pokémon's back, giving it a friendly stroke on the neck before holding up its Pokéball and returning it.

"Sorry about following you. I wasn't done talking, though."

"Do as you wish."

"Oh, and Officer Jenny gave me a license while you were out cold. I can visit here and Full Moon Island without being locked up for it now." She smiled dryly and followed Darkrai as he floated silently off over the cliff-top. "I can only thank Arceus I had enough money to pay the fine in full. If not, I'd have had to go to court for it. Scary stuff."

"Why are you still here?"

Amber sighed. "Still as straight to the point as ever, I see. Well, I don't have much else to do. There's only the Battle Frontier left for me now, and… my heart's not in it. Maybe I'll go for it later, when I'm feeling more enthusiastic about battling."

Darkrai didn't understand why she was explaining this to him. "You need not tell me about your life, human. Leave while you are still wide awake."

Amber laughed. "A little nightmare is nothing between friends, right? Besides, I can make up for it tomorrow if I want to stay awake now. No parents around to tell me I'm lazy." She chuckled at this thought, and at the way Darkrai was staring at her.

"…Friends?"

"Yes. Know what that means?"

"…No."

She smiled and sat on the cliff edge, feet dangling over the edge. "A friend is someone you can trust, and who stops you being bored or alone. My Pokémon team… they're all my friends. And Tommy – he's the boy you saw earlier."

Darkrai pondered this for a while. "Must one travel with a friend to be considered as such?" Amber shook her head.

"Nah. I have some friends I haven't seen in years, and some I see every week, or every day. If the good memories of them outweigh the bad ones, I consider someone a friend."

"I do not believe I qualify."

"Well, y'do. It's been fun. You became another good chapter in my diary, not that I keep one." She leant back onto the grass, staring quietly up at the stars. "What do you think? Are you okay with having a friend, or does it freak you out?"

Darkrai was silent for a long time. She glanced up to make sure he was still there; he was. Eventually, he turned away and headed for the small forest that covered most of the rest of the island, not sure how to answer the human's odd question.

At the last minute, however, he turned back and watched her stand up, hand poised to throw the Pidgeot's Pokéball onto the ground.

"Wait."

Amber glanced over her shoulder. "Mm?"

"May we… speak again?"

"Of course. I'll meet you here in a day's time… is that okay?"

They stared at one another for a while, and then Darkrai turned and phased into a shadow, vanishing through the trees.

Amber smiled to herself and dropped Pidgeot's Pokéball lightly onto the grass.

"Reeeyoouh?"

Amber petted the Pokémon fondly and climbed aboard, nudging it to take off.

"Off we go, then, Dyna. Fly us to the entrance of Eterna Forest. I never did get that Buneary I was looking for…"

*******************

Well, thanks for all the kind words you guys sent me! I guess that's it for this story, but I'll be writing others about Amber if I get the time.

Her usual team consists of Stat the Luxray, Rexxie the Feraligatr, Mark the Gallade and 02 (or Zero) the Rapidash. She saves the other two slots for new recruits and HM Pokémon. If you want to hear about any of the Pokémon in particular, drop a name or two in a review and I'll get right on it – otherwise, I'm going to sift through her alternate Pokémon for one you haven't read about yet.

Thanks again for the reviews and favourites and watches and all the other stuff – it's been a fun story to write!~


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